Measuring device



July 27, 1965 H. c. MOORE MEASURING DEVICE Filed Feb. 4, 1965FITTO/ZA/EYS United States Patent O 3,196,548 l MEASURING DEVICE HaroldC. Moore, 1400 Norman Piace, Warson Woods, Mo. Filed Feb. 4, 1963, Ser.No. 255,838 8 Claims. (Cl. lili-169) The present invention relates to adevice for linear measuring and particularly for such measuring usagesas are familiar in the home. Typical uses of the present Idevice yarefor measuring heights of people, hemline heights, window opening sizes,and the like.

Essentially, the present measuring device comprises graduated, elongatedtelescopic members, magnetic means t-o hold the members to a wall or thelike for ready removal and attachment, and a magnetically attach-ablemeasuring end bar. The telescopic elements may be formed of channelsections and include means releasably to hold them in either rretractedor extended relative positions. At least one of them has magneticelements that can be releasably held by complementary magnetic devicesattachable to a wall or other similar surface by screws, adhesive, orthe like. It is preferable that the telescopic elements be made of amagnetic material so that the measuring end bar with a magnet attachedthereto can be secured in selective position along them by magneticmeans.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a measuring deviceIhaving the features inherent in the foregoing. Specifically, it is anobject of `the invention to provide a measuring device that can bereadily attached and detached from a wall or similar surface, andparticularly by magnetic attaching devices so that the parts remainingon the wall are small and inconspicuous and of a pleasing appearance.Further objects include the provision of a measuring device of theforegoing type whereon a measuring bar can be adjustably secured alongit by magnetic means so that the measuring bar can easily be positionedat any appropriate measuring place on a graduated scale. Other meansinclude a telescopic measuring device of the foregoing kind which can bereadily held in telescopic or extended position. Other objects willappear from the description to follow.

In lthe drawings:

FFIGURE 1 is an elevation of the device `in position against a door;

'FIGURE 2 is an enlarged Ivertical medial section taken on the line 2-12of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a further enlarged transverse section taken on the line 3-3below the middle of FIGURE 2;

'FIGURE 4 is .an isometric view taken from a rear quarter of the device;

FIGURE 5 is .an isometric view 4of one form of magnetic attaching block;

lFIGURE 6 is an isometric view of another form of attaching block;

FIGURE 7 is an isometric view of a cross bar;

s.FIGURE 8 is an enlarged vertical section of the latching means at thetop of FIGURE 2 with the telescopic elements in retracted position; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged sectional View of a portion of the innertelescopic element.

The device includes an outer telescopic element 12 .and an innertelescopic element 13. The outer telescopic element 112 has a front wall14, side walls 15 and 16, and inturned side flanges 17 and 18 along theedge of the side walls 15 and 16. It has a top ilange 19. Its bottom isopen.

The inner telescopic member 13 is of channel section =with a front wall21 and side walls 22 and 23. Preferablythese side walls merge into themain wall 21 by outwardly projecting headings 24 and 25. The member 13ice has an out-turned foot 26 at the bottom, and a lug 30 near its toppressed out of the Wall 211. When the members 12 and 13 are telescoped,the ilanges 17 and 18 on the member 12 engage the back edges of thesides 22 and 23 of the member 13, while the headings 24 and 215 on themember 13 constitute tracks that ride in the channel of the outer membery12 engaging against the back side of the front wall `14 thereof. Thisshould be clear from FIGURES 2, 4 and 9. The headings aid in preventingbinding of the elements and galling that could interfere with easymovement thereof.

The outer telescopic element 12 has permanently 'attached across itsanges 17 and 18 two box-shaped metal elements 312 and 33, each having.four sides and a bottom, these boxes being for a purpose later toappear. The lower box 33 has an upwardly and inwardly projecting leafspring 34 secured to its top edge, this leaf spring being yieldableoutwardly but .being normally disposed close to or in contact with theinside Wall lof the section.

When the inner element 13 is telescoped into the member 12, the lug 30pressed outwardly from the wall 2.1, passes under the spring 34. Whenthe telescopic elements are completely retracted, the lug 30, by itsc-urved shape engages under the curved tip of a spring retainer `36 ofthe shape illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. This spring 36 yieldably holdsthe lug 30 and prevents separation of the two telescopic elements.However, the rounded shapes of the lug 30 and the spring 36 permit themto be pulled apart by application of some force thereto. Also theyoutwardly projecting end of the spring 36 makes it easy to lift thespring off the Vlug to permit separation of the elements. T-he open backof the outer element 12 gives access to the spring 36. When thetelescopic elements approach their maximum extended position, the spring34 engages under the lug 30 in the manner shown in FIGURE 2. In rthiscase, the spring 34 prevents further separation of the two telescopicelements. However, because of the open :back of the outer element 12,the spring 34 is accessible to the linger-s so that it can be drawn awayfrom the lug to permit the parts to be physically separated if desired.

In order to support the measuring sticks upon a wall or a like surface,magnetic blocks are provided. In FIGURE 5, one magnetic block 37 isillustrated as consisting of a metal plate 38 backed by a layer ofadhesive 39 and having a strong magnet 40 attached to its front end asby Ia rivet. The magnet 40 is of block shape and is designed .to iitwith modest toler-ance into the box 32 or the box 33. The adhesive 39may be initially covered with a masking sheet if desired, the maskingsheet being removed to permit the block to be .pressed against a wall toadhere there.

The other supporting block 41 is shown as containing `screw holes 43 anda magnetic block 44 attached to the backing plate 42 as by a rivet. 'Inthis case, the screw holes 43 can be used to receive screws that willhold the block to the wal-1. -Both the screw holes and the adhesive maybe provided for alternative use if desired. The blocks 37 and 41 may beother-wise identical so that either one lits with fairly close toleranceinto either box 32 and 33.

As shown particularly in FIGURES 2 and 7, a magnetized measuring bar 50is provided. =It may have `a magnetic block 51 in transverserelationship at its inner end. This magnetic block can engage againstthe face of the telescopic elements 112 and 13, which are of magneticmaterial such as steel and can slide freely up and down the tace of thetelescopic elements 12 and 13.

In its collapsed condition the inner telescopic element 13 will be slidinto the outer telescopic element 12 as far as it will go. In thisaction the lug 30, because of its sloping upper edge, snaps under theend of the spring clip 36, releasably retaining in such relation. Theend bar may be engaged as shown in dotted lines at the bottom of FIGURE2, wherein the magnetic element 51 attaches onto the foot 26 ofthetelescopic element. of space. Inshipping or storage, the blocks y37and 41 may be detached from the wall, and disposed in the boxes 32 and33 to betightly heldby magnetic action.

When it is desired to install the device, for example as illustrated inFIGURE 1, on a door, theV elements *12 andl 13 are opened out to thedesiredrheight with the blocks 37 and 41 in the boxes 32 and 33. Forsimplicity of In this position ittakes a minimumV Y Yareas-4.a Y

the two telescopic elements -Y reading the heights, the innerV memberl's'hould be ex- A.

tended all the way until the lug 30 abuts the spring 34. In thisposition the graduations are continuous from the lower endv ofthemembers 13 tothe Atop ofthe member As soon as the blocks V3'7 Y Thecrosspbar 50 may be i in theprocess of this invention as will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art. YSuch changes and modications arewithin the vscope and teachings of this invention as defined by theclaims appended hereto.

What is claimed is: f Y' 1. Anelongat'ed measuring stick havinggraduations therealong; at least a pair of attaching meansr to hang thestick in verticalrposition on a wall or the like, and a measuring baryadapted to be attached to and project horizontally from theV stick; eachattachingdmeans comprising l for attachment to the wall or like support,the receptacle '12. Then', with the foot 26 resting ron the floor, theblocks can be moved against the wall or door, andthe location v I forthe blocks 37 and 41 can be marked Yon the door. l .1' Thereafter thetwo blocks are removed fromVV the boxes the heights of 'i outer faces asillustrated in FIGURE 1 preferably in inches and fractions thereof.Conveniently the outer telescopic element 12 may be three feet long, andthe Or, if desired, the measuring instrument may beipulled from theblocks 38 and'42 and usedrasV a handy household measuring ruler, orstoredthat way. When Yit is 'removed from'the blocks, the^two elements12 and 13 -cannot separate, because vof the action of the leaf.V springk34 against thebottomofthe lug 30. 1 Y Y The measuring' stick is alsoremovable from they blocks for use as a detached measuring Adevice forVany of the usual purposes. Where more than one cross head Ymeas-kVances into the box.V Y

element including portions engageable at the top and opposite sidesofthe magnetic block, whereby the pair of attaching means can properlyposition and also support the stick.

2. Thermeasuring device of claim 1, wherein each receptacleelementgconstitutes Va four-sided box and the magneta four-sided'blockfitting-with fairly close toler- A v 3. The measuring device of claim 1,wherein the stick constitutes a channel sectiony element with:overhanging fanges, and. wherein there is a telescopic element slidablyengageable within the channel section and retained therein by theflanges, interengaging latching means between thetwo elements adaptedreleasably to hold, the elements in retracted and telescoped position.and means to prevent separation of the two telescopic elements.

V4. The measuring device of claim'3, wherein the inner telescopicelement has beadsV formed in its corners that a track against theinterior of the channel of the iirst named urin'g bar 50`are supplied,they canrbe used asis obvious for measuring spans. f As noted, itis-preferably `to elements and boxes out of steel, this being aconvenient and in expensive magnetic material.y It will, of course,

be understood' that parts may be made'of non-magnetic make the entiretelescopicf material provided a suiiicient amount of magnetic matel rialis used in the boxes'to respond to the magnetic Yiield of the magnets 40and 44, and enough magnetic material' is used on the faces ofthetelescopic elements to( permit the positioning andadherence of the crosshead measuring bar 50 thereto@ p a From theforegoing, it can be seenthat'a convenient 'measuring stick has been made which is easy tooperate,VV

which canrbe left in position or taken Vout Vof position withoutinterfering with lthe normalpuse of theV wall or door to which it isapplied, which does not deface the wall, and yet which is suitable forall conventionalmeas- ,tical and horizontal movementsby the Y confiningof the Y Y 7o uring operations. And while it VVis readily, removable Yfrom the wall, it is firmly held iu place against both Ver? sticktoreduce friction. p l 5.,'1`he measuring stick of `claim 1, whereinvthere is magnetic materialV along the stick, and the measuring bar hasa magnet'device by which it can be ksupported on the stick.,y w e. ,Y Y6. The measuring stick of claim 1, wherein the attach- .ing meanselements attached to the wallor like support are the 4magnetic.blockelements, and there is adhesive means torattach them. Y l g f 7.The measuringfstick ofjclaim 1, wherein the stick comprises twoelongated elements, one telescopic within tie other, the outer lstickelement Yhaving a front wall, Yside..walls,and back wallmeans, and theinner Stick element hasy parts'engagin'g the side walls-and' back wallmeans, anjdgalso havingV substantially linear engagement withthe Vinnersurfaceof the front ,w'all.Y

`18. AV measuringfdevice comprising two` telescopic elerments, 'theiirst being an outer telescoplcelement of flanged channel sections openon its back side, the inner '-telescopic element .comprisinga'channelshaped member with beading formed alongits edges, andinterfitting into the outertelescopic element and retained therein bythe -anges a'lug :stamped 'outof the' upper portion of Ythe innertelescopic element, f a foot projecting outwardly from the lower vendoftheinner telescopic element, a spring clip at the upper end of theouter telescopic element accessible through nthe open back thereof, aretainera spring at rvthe lower 'end of the outerl telescopicelementaccesk rvsible at theV outer end thereof,` thespring clipprojecting 1 forwardly toward the web "of the Ychannel section of theouter member, ythe innermember, when telescoped within the outertelescopic element causing the lug thereon to be engageable under thespring clip kwhen the members lare retracted and to be retained againstthe retainer spring when the membersareextended, a pair of box-likeelements of magnetic materialattached across the flanges of the outertelescopic elements and openbackwardly, a

VVpair of magneticgblock attaching-devicesV each having a magnetengageable Vwith fairly close tolerance into one of the open boxes onthe outer Vtelescopic element and `each having aplate to which themagnetic vblock is at- 5 6 tached, the plate having means for beingattached to a 2,337,248 12/43 Koller 33 Wall or like surface, and across head measuring bar 2,521,885 9/50 Vasquez 292-2515 having amagnetic element thereon for selective posi- 2,731,663 1/56 Thompson292-2515 tioning along the two telescopic elements, with gradua-2,742,250 4/ 56 Cronberger 248-206 tions on the front faces of the twotelescopic elements. 5 2,901,278 8/59 Robinson 292-2515 References Citedbythe Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 133,345 8/02Germany.

1985527 12/34 Taylor' 10 ISAAC LISANN, Primary Examiner.

2,324,334 7/43 Sutton 33-169

1. AN ELONGATED MEASURING STICK HAVING GRADUATIONS THEREALONG; AT LEASTA PAIR OF ATTACHING MEANS TO HANG THE STICK IN VERTICAL POSITION ON AWALL OR THE LIKE, AND A MEASURING BAR ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO ANDPROJECT HORIZONTALLY FROM THE STICK; EACH ATTCHING MEANS COMPRISING ASPACED MAGNETIC BLOCK ELEMENT AND A CORRESPONDING RECEPTACLE ELEMENT OFMAGNETIC MATERIAL, ONE ELEMENT OF EACH PAIR BEING ON THE STICK AND THEOTHER BEING ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE WALL OR LIKE SUPPORT, THERECEPTACLE